Preview — Tales of Ancient Egypt
by Roger Lancelyn Green

Tales of Ancient Egypt

Features stories that include the great myths - of Amen-Ra, who created all the creatures in the world; of Isis, searching the waters for her dead husband Osiris; of the Bennu Bird and the Book of Thoth. But there are also tales told for pleasure about magic, treasure and adventure - even the first ever Cinderella story.

If I have ever read a book of Egyptian myths before, I don’t remember it. This little volume was a very pleasant introduction to the Egyptian mythos—something that I’ve learned by osmosis while reading books about the land’s history and art and reading fiction set in Ancient Egypt. As in most mythologies, there are unexpected treasures.

The man who polished these little tales was a friend of C.S. Lewis and seems to have made his reputation on rewriting myths and legends for the children’s market.If I have ever read a book of Egyptian myths before, I don’t remember it. This little volume was a very pleasant introduction to the Egyptian mythos—something that I’ve learned by osmosis while reading books about the land’s history and art and reading fiction set in Ancient Egypt. As in most mythologies, there are unexpected treasures.

The man who polished these little tales was a friend of C.S. Lewis and seems to have made his reputation on rewriting myths and legends for the children’s market. I realize now that the vocabulary of this volume was probably suitable for children, but it did not detract from my enjoyment as an adult reader. He blends history and myth to make both clearer for the reader.

I have always found the Ancient Egyptians to be fascinating—this volume merely reinforced my obsession....more

So, Roger Lancelyn Green was in The Inklings. ...Who knew? The Inklings, right? That literary group C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were in? With a bunch of other people everybody forgets? Well, Roger Lancelyn Green was in it - at least according to the "Author File" in the back of the Puffin book. ...And Wikipedia... Of course, a little more internet sleuthing said he wasn't a member, but rather someone who was friends with other Inklings, and occasionally attended their meetings.

Also, he was theSo, Roger Lancelyn Green was in The Inklings. ...Who knew? The Inklings, right? That literary group C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were in? With a bunch of other people everybody forgets? Well, Roger Lancelyn Green was in it - at least according to the "Author File" in the back of the Puffin book. ...And Wikipedia... Of course, a little more internet sleuthing said he wasn't a member, but rather someone who was friends with other Inklings, and occasionally attended their meetings.

Also, he was the first one to read the Narnia series. And give it the name "The Chronicles of Narnia." ...Dang it, sounds like a member to me.

I've taught Ancient Egypt to middle school students for years now - along with Ancient Mesopotamia, The Ancient Indus, Ancient China... You know, the big ones. But there's so little time, we can't really delve into it. So: pyramids, mummies, Nile, pharaohs, hieroglyphs and we're out.

And that's sad, because Egypt lasted 4000 years. Four THOUSAND. I mean, U.S. History teachers get bent out of shape because their students don't know about the XYZ Affair or the Teapot Dome Scandal. Can you imagine how the public school teachers in Ancient Egypt must have felt? All those little Egyptian kids screwing around all the time at their desks. Putting a baby crocodile on the teacher's chair.

Four thousand years of continuous civilization. (Counting the Greeks and kindof counting the Romans... Not counting the Arabs. Sorry, guys.)

So, I'm a little bit shaky on some of my Ancient Egypt knowledge. I'd never been required to read any of their myths, so I hadn't. Or at least, I'd read very few. I knew about the gods, and could have listed several: who they are, what they did. But I didn't really know the stories.

And the stories are fascinating.

I'd be interested in seeing a more direct translation now that I've read this for several reasons.

First, there's so much that overlaps with Biblical narrative. In the story, Ra and his Children, for instance so much seemed similar to Genesis. The creation of the world, separating night from day, creating man and woman... People rebelling against Ra and "did evil in his sight, worshipping the dragon of darkness..."

I mean, there are some differences, in the Bible when the people turn evil God saves them with an ark. In Ancient Egypt, Ra saves them with beer... so there's that...

Here's another one, from the story "The Land of the Dead," and humans are being judged. Among the things they say at judgement: "I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothing to the naked and a boat to him who could not cross the River..." This is very similar to Christ's discussion of the judgement in Matt. 25.

And later in the same story, we hear of Apophis - the snake, the "eater of souls" who dwelt in "the Pits of Fire." Yeah, sounds familiar. I've been told not to be afraid of anyone who can kill me, but I should be afraid of the One who can destroy both my soul and body in Hell.

And Christ did spend some time in Egypt, right? Right? Now, I'm not claiming Christ is taking Egyptian belief and turning it into some sort of Judeo-Egyptian syncretistic religion, or anything like that. I'm sure others have already said that. I'm just saying I found it interesting, and I'd also be interested in reading the direct translations.

Ok, here's one more from the story, "The Taking of Joppa." The Egyptians are up in Palestine, trying to get Joppa and the governor says, "I swear to Jahwah, my god, that you shall be second only to myself in this new kingdom which we shall carve out of... dat da dat da daaa..." Did the Ancient Egyptian texts reference Jahwah? Or did Green add that to the story to give it an extra sense of veracity? And if he added that, did he add the other stuff? A quick search tells me he didn't add everything. But still, interested.

Side note, that Jahwah part reminded me of Indiana Jones. "But in the Latin alphabet, Jehovah begins with an "I."

As for the book, and the myths: I found them fascinating. I'll probably read them again sometime soon. And I may give one or two to my class to read. Don't let the cover fool you, though. This would be a challenging read for a good many middle-school students. Here's a sentence from the first page of the introduction, "The first Greek historian, whose works survive, Herodotus, visited it in about 450 BC and found that only priests could still read the ancient hieroglyphs in which inscriptions had been carved or written on the monuments since the days when Menes, the first historical Pharaoh, united the 'Two Lands' in about 3200 BC."

Or this one: The natural conditions in any land are often to a large extent responsible for its religious beliefs, the form its civilization takes, and the stories that evolve into its literature.

So, I might not go into buying this book thinking it will definitely be worth having your students read it. But for the teacher who is unfamiliar with the myths of Ancient Egypt, it's a great intro....more

If you're deeply interested in Ancient Egypt stories, mythology etc you'll find this book very interesting and informative. Except the last chapter it is quite interesting; it refers papyruses, drawings and scriptions, and that makes the impression book gives more like a documentary then a usual story books. Language is OK, but in my opinion you need to have a map of Egypt in your mind while reading the book. I was trying to match the story with the location, told in the final chapters. Knowing(If you're deeply interested in Ancient Egypt stories, mythology etc you'll find this book very interesting and informative. Except the last chapter it is quite interesting; it refers papyruses, drawings and scriptions, and that makes the impression book gives more like a documentary then a usual story books. Language is OK, but in my opinion you need to have a map of Egypt in your mind while reading the book. I was trying to match the story with the location, told in the final chapters. Knowing(or believing)that these stories were actually lived,.. I liked that feeling....more

”Egypt has always been a land of mystery and magic - a land different from all others, difficult to understand, apart and alien, yet strangely fascinating.”

A great collection of myths from the time where the greatest ancient civilization was in its full swing! Told in a fun and easy to understand way, this book can be sure to delight all types of people of all ages.

Saying that, however, I do wish more depth was given to certain stories, like the story of the Egyptian version of creation, and som”Egypt has always been a land of mystery and magic - a land different from all others, difficult to understand, apart and alien, yet strangely fascinating.”

A great collection of myths from the time where the greatest ancient civilization was in its full swing! Told in a fun and easy to understand way, this book can be sure to delight all types of people of all ages.

Saying that, however, I do wish more depth was given to certain stories, like the story of the Egyptian version of creation, and some other myths and stories from the ancient culture were included.

Overall it’s a fun, very short quick read that I think many can appreciate, even if they have no prior knowledge....more

These stories were interesting but pretty hard to read and remember everything for the age level it was required for. Pretty tedious reading. I read most of them out loud with my son as it was pretty difficult reading level.Learned a lot and it was interesting.

For the beginning reader of Ancient Egyptian lore this is a wonderful starter book that dives into some of the most common stories that can be found in the land of pyramids, desert and exotic gods. What makes it so intriguing to the reader is the fact that the author has compiled it so that it follows a certain timeline within its section of stories although without using dates.

What disappointed me the most is the fact that there are actually more lore from Ancient Egypt then what was provided For the beginning reader of Ancient Egyptian lore this is a wonderful starter book that dives into some of the most common stories that can be found in the land of pyramids, desert and exotic gods. What makes it so intriguing to the reader is the fact that the author has compiled it so that it follows a certain timeline within its section of stories although without using dates.

What disappointed me the most is the fact that there are actually more lore from Ancient Egypt then what was provided for but I guess for the sake of simplifying everything the author chose to stick with the Osirian cycle of deities. At the same time for those that were used it would have made it a lot more easier for the reader if there was a glossary of mentioned deities in the back with a small trivia background.

Furthermore the deities weren't really discussed in their animal-headed or animal personas, which is what differentiates them from most other mythoi types. There were a few quick mentions and the interesting discussion of Set's strange animal head but not enough to bring the reader into the true flesh of the times.

And finally about the stories themselves. Hatshepsut's story shouldn't haven't been included if you were to go along with the Ancient Egyptian belief, especially of her heir Thutmose III who attempted to wipe her out stating that she wasn't an actual pharaoh. At the same time there were a few other stories that I hadn't heard of and I don't know if I would have included them just since of the controversial side of their actual origins.

Roger has proved that he is a lot better in his preservation and re-telling of the stories when compared to those of Edith Hamilton. And although they were bland and too lengthy in some cases, it may be considered a compliment in the keeping of the actual format of the majority of the stories.

Finally there is a bit of a gruesome side to some of the stories so it is with precaution that the reader picks this book up and reads it but be assured of these stories have been quite cleaned up from their original telling....more

‘Tales from Ancient Egypt’ offers a collection of easy readable stories, presenting a wonderful introduction to the legends and legacy of Ancient Egypt for children and adults alike. The way Roger Lancelyn Green has penned down these stories makes them read like fairytales, cautionary tales about the value of honor, friendship and loyalty. With each story only taking about ten pages or less, they do sometimes regrettably lack in details due their short span. Yet, they remain thoroughly entertain‘Tales from Ancient Egypt’ offers a collection of easy readable stories, presenting a wonderful introduction to the legends and legacy of Ancient Egypt for children and adults alike. The way Roger Lancelyn Green has penned down these stories makes them read like fairytales, cautionary tales about the value of honor, friendship and loyalty. With each story only taking about ten pages or less, they do sometimes regrettably lack in details due their short span. Yet, they remain thoroughly entertaining, striking stories that in essence still hold great literary value; and stories that are told more elaborately stick out for being so much more engaging. The tragic attempt of Nefrekeptah to obtain the mysterious Book of Toth has a wonderfully gothic feel to it and forms one of the high points within this collection, mainly because Green takes his time to tell this story so passionately. The mix of tales about creation, adventures from civilian and military Egyptians and the magical encounters various Pharaohs had with their gods makes for a varied read, with each story being significantly different from the previous one. The retellings of the birth of Egypt and its gods might hold nothing new to readers already more familiar with Egypt culture, but for them the lesser known stories about the brothers Anpu and Bata, or the tale of Hatshepsut’s birth might hold something new. And even if one’s already acquainted with most of these tales, it’s still a pleasure to relive them through this bundle.Combined with a timeline and an overview of ruling Pharaohs and their (architectonic) achievements, this book offers a little extra for readers eager to dive deeper into the historical angle of this book. For the rest, though, it can simply be read as a collection of wonderful short stories and fairytales who at once feel familiar and yet brand new....more

Recommends it for: People interested in learning about Ancient Egyptian Culture

As it is specified in the title of this novel, this book is a collection of stories from ancient Egypt. The stories are divided into subcategories, some about adventures and other lands (many about Grecians, one even telling about the Greek princess Helen), some about magic, and some about the gods. As I am a great fan of mythologies and just learned about ancient river valleys, including the Nile River Valley, I thought it appropriate to read this book now. Most stories were about pharaohs and As it is specified in the title of this novel, this book is a collection of stories from ancient Egypt. The stories are divided into subcategories, some about adventures and other lands (many about Grecians, one even telling about the Greek princess Helen), some about magic, and some about the gods. As I am a great fan of mythologies and just learned about ancient river valleys, including the Nile River Valley, I thought it appropriate to read this book now. Most stories were about pharaohs and their relation to the gods as well as certain experiences changing their lives (i.e. reading the Book of Thoth or neglecting to pray to Khnemu the Nile God, causing there to be a drought). This book was alright. As far as mythologies go, I would consider myself pretty adept at reading them and enjoying them (especially Norse and Greek mythology). The primary books that I read as a child were in the fantasy or mythological genre (Edith Hamilton and Thomas Bulfinch were among my most favorite authors of mythologies. I have read other books by Roger Lancelyn Green and enjoyed them, especially King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table and The Adventures of Robin Hood. It seemed to me, then, that I would enjoy this book, but I didn't especially like the actual stories. I appreciated that Mr. Green added an introduction and talked about some of the history behind these tales (and I could recognize this history as I just studied ancient river valleys, including the Nile River Valley, in history class). The stories insightful as to the Egyptian way of life. For instance, Egypt had "magicians," the most powerful of which, at the age of 12, could read a sealed scroll from the outside. There was a trace of racism towards Ethiopians in a few of these tales and a few instances of a Pharaoh falling in love with the bride of another man and then taking her from him. Throughout the book there were insights similar to these and I appreciated learning about them. I didn't like that there was racism and a little bit of sexism in these stories (though, surprisingly, not a lot of sexism; in the Nile River Valley, women were a lot more equal to men as they could sue and be sued, own land, sign contracts, and do other things that women in the Indus, Tigris and Euphrates, and Yellow River Valleys could not). This, however, wasn't something that Roger Lancelyn Green could have changed, as he was the collector, not author, of these stories. Overall, though I didn't enjoy the actual mythology in these stories as I wanted to, I am glad to have learned more about the culture of ancient Egypt....more

So, why should you read this book?If you're fascinated by any form of mythology, this is a great introduction to the lesser-known Egyptian mythology that I would definitely recommend!

My opinionI'm going to put this out there: I love mythology. There's something deeply inspiring and touching about reading the stories of people that lived hundreds and thousands of years before me. Those stories reveal such a different world from oursRead the full review on my blog, Final Frontier Books!

3.5/5 stars

So, why should you read this book?If you're fascinated by any form of mythology, this is a great introduction to the lesser-known Egyptian mythology that I would definitely recommend!

My opinionI'm going to put this out there: I love mythology. There's something deeply inspiring and touching about reading the stories of people that lived hundreds and thousands of years before me. Those stories reveal such a different world from ours; one where gods are alive and the young world still easily bends to their will. I love the opportunity to get a little glimpse of that world, which collections of myths provide.

Tales of Ancient Egypt was no exception to this. I was absolutely enthralled by these stories of gods that I have only superficial knowledge of; tales of pharaohs and travelers and magicians, ancient civil wars, and the ever-constant threat of death.

My favourite stories were the ones that seemed to hide another story within them: for example, The Story of the Greek Princess. I was absolutely mindblown by it because it somehow added a completely new level of depth to the Iliad, a story that I've already read in many forms and adaptations.

What I'm trying to get at is anything is possible in mythology, and this collection encapsulates that perfectly. It is by no means a complete or even authoritative account of Egyptian mythology, but introduction to it. You get a taste of who the Egyptian gods were and a bit of what Egyptian society was like, but if you want to have a true understanding you're going to have to dig a lot deeper!

The only true critique I can think of for this collection is that sometimes the stories are confusing because they take strange twists or don't conclude satisfactorily, however I believe that applies to most of mythology so I don't see why it's a huge problem....more

I bought this book ages ago, but only just picked it up in August because I have a paper on Ancient Egypt this semester, and I thought it would be a fun idea to read this parallel to my coursework. This is a delightful collection of stories that have been collected from papyrii and tomb inscriptions, and is a window into the lives of people from a civilization that flourished for 3500 years and was already ancient before the birth of Christianity. The stories are narrated in such a manner that oI bought this book ages ago, but only just picked it up in August because I have a paper on Ancient Egypt this semester, and I thought it would be a fun idea to read this parallel to my coursework. This is a delightful collection of stories that have been collected from papyrii and tomb inscriptions, and is a window into the lives of people from a civilization that flourished for 3500 years and was already ancient before the birth of Christianity. The stories are narrated in such a manner that one feels transported to the world of the Ancient Egyptians, where gods and men lived side by side. What was particularly fascinating to me was the tale about Helen of Troy. What is known the world over as an ancient Greek adventure purportedly had an Egyptian dimension to it, if the story is to be believed. Interestingly, one of the tales is also reminiscent of the popular children's story 'Cinderella'. From the perspective of a history student, this book was highly entertaining and informative as it helped throw light on the mentality of an ancient civilization while at the same time honouring the shroud of exotica that surrounds it. Anybody who has any interest in history or mythology will definitely enjoy this book thoroughly. ...more

I picked this up for a dollar at one of my favorite used bookstores because I loved Ancient Egyptian stuff as a kid. I knew who all the Egyptian gods were, but somehow I'd never been able to sit down and read stories from the Egyptian pantheon. I'm glad I picked up this book - it's a quick read, the stories are fun (and many were new to me!), it's got a few charming illustrations, and I really loved seeing how the later stories incorporate the Greek gods (The Story of the Greek Princess is aboutI picked this up for a dollar at one of my favorite used bookstores because I loved Ancient Egyptian stuff as a kid. I knew who all the Egyptian gods were, but somehow I'd never been able to sit down and read stories from the Egyptian pantheon. I'm glad I picked up this book - it's a quick read, the stories are fun (and many were new to me!), it's got a few charming illustrations, and I really loved seeing how the later stories incorporate the Greek gods (The Story of the Greek Princess is about Helen of Sparta and has a lot of, "Zeus, King of the Gods, whom you call Amen-Ra" going on it it)....more

Very informative and helpful prologue, and the stories are well organized with the helpful timeline in the back of the book. I liked the selection of ancient stories, as well.But The stories themselves are incredibly dull compared to Green’s other retellings. This may be due to the source material being so much older and very different from those other retellings, but regardless, I didn't enjoy reading them.

This constitutes one of several companion volumes, but in particular for 'Tales Of The Greek Heroes'. It's about as good, and again constitutes an engaging introduction to Ancient Egyptian mythology. As an adult I can see strong connections between this and the Old Testament in some places, which is also very interesting. It's not quite as absorbing as 'Tales Of The Greek Myths' but it is more absorbent! Don't ask.

I really enjoyed this. It really helped pull together the Egyptian Gods for me which seemed altogether disconnected until now. The stories are very fun and fast to read! It comes in sections including stories of gods, magic, and adventure so not all the gods are mentioned but it is a really good starting point. So glad I picked this up!

The myths are related in here in a child-tale fashion like. The best example is the myth of Seth and Laurie which leaves aside certain details. It is a work for young students, perhaps of early grades and that is fine but the title of the book should make it clear. That said is well-written and offers a good overlook on Egyptian mythology. I'd say it is a good place where to start.

Egyptian mythology is not as fascinating as Greek, and many would agree with that. However, Egyptian mythology is surreal and fascinating and is the sort of thing that any mythology lover should read. Green's version of the stories does a good job making the material easy for average readers to understand, in spite of the bizarre nature of spirits and magic.

A really great retelling, but a couple of the stories did feel a little long. The tales about the gods were amazing and there was also an Egyptian version of the tale of the Fall of Troy and Cinderella, which was really cool!

This book really can be read by anyone I felt as if I were in the stories and not just imagining them You really get to go in the adventures as the gods and there subjects. Truly enjoyable read to start the year

3.5 -> 3Well written, enjoyable collection. It's very easy to recognize the period legend or myths come from. From Hatshepsut's propaganda to nods to Illiad, everyone will find something for themselves.

This is a cool, easy to follow portrayal of ancient Egypt. It begins with the gods, and then has stories of magic and adventure. The book is not too long or super complicated, nor is it too easy to read (which is the case of some children’s books I’ve found on the subject.)

Interesting read. Probably good for people beginning to get into Egyptian mythology and folklore. My only complaint is that I was hoping for more mythology and less folklore. But the stories are good reads regardless.

Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in CheshireRoger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in Cheshire, in a manor which his ancestors owned for over 900 years. He died in October 1987. His son was the writer Richard Lancelyn Green...more

“No longer are you Sekhmet the Slayer: you are Hathor the Lady of Love. Yet your power over mankind shall be greater even than it was – for the passion of love shall be stronger than the passion of hate, and all shall know love, and all shall be your victims.”
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“[He] would have cried out in horror if the silence had not pressed like a weight that held him paralyzed.”
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